Register actuator



March 6, 1945. FA J RQUAN 2,370,919

REGISTER ACTUATOR Filed June 9, 1942 2 Shee'Ls-Sheerl 1 ATTORNEY March 6, 1945. F. .1. ROUAN 2,370,919

REG I STER ACTUATOR Filed June 9, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY l wheel Patented Mar. 6, 1945 REGISTER vACTUA'IOR Francis J. Ronan, Stamford, Conn., assigner to Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Co., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1942, Serial No. 446,327

(Cl. 23S-61) 6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to register actuating mechanism and more particularly to mechanism used for registering the value of postage impressions imprinted upon letters and the like by means of a metered mailing machine.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide means whereby a half unit value may be set up in addition tothe normal unit value and whereby upon actuating the device the half unit value will be entered into the register wheels of the registering device and may be read directly therefrom.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what isv claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein;-

Fig. 1 is a face View of the gearing and other mechanism required for the setting and actuation of the register mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the register actuating mechanism with a. value setting toothed member set in the "3 unit value position;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are operation views on an enlarged scale, showing: in Fig.` 4, the normal home position with the settable toothed member set at the l unit value position; in Fig. 5, the settable member set at the l1/2 unit value position; in Fig. 6, the settable member set at the 3 unit value position; and in Fig. '7, the drive of the actuator, which effects rotation of the settable member in accordance with the value set up.

In a metered mailing machine, postage stamp impressions are adapted to be printed upon letters in accordance with selected values and the value printed is registered in a registering device or totalizer which forms a part of a metering unit.

In the machine herein disclosed, there is in-I cluded an indicia die I having a value printing II adjustably mounted therein. Said printing wheel is carried by a. shaft I2, which shaft is supported in a frame 9 and has a gear 'I3 at one end thereof. A compound gear |4|4a carried by a shaft.|5, has one gear Ila in mesh with the gear I3 and is adapted tc be manually rotated |by means of a knob I6 fixed to said shaft I5. Meshing with said gear I4 is a gear sector I'I, which is fixed to a shaft I8 and has a number of detent notches I9 along one edge thereof. A settable pinion 2| is rotatably supported on a stud 22, which stud is fixed to an upwardly projecting portion of the gear sector Associated with the detent notches I9 of the gear sector I1, is a locking detent member 23, pivotally mounted at 24, which has a detent portion 25 normally urged into engagement with one of the notches I9 by a spring 25 to lock the gear sector I1 in any predetermined position.

With the mechanism thus far described, upon rotation of the knob I6, the compound gear |4-I4a will be rotated to effect both the setting of the type wheel to the desired value and to effect rotation of the sector I1 and planetary movement of the pinion 2|. It is to be noted that with the even spacing of the detent notches I9, the pinion 2| will be adjusted in evenly spaced steps.

Associated with the pinion 2| is an actuator gear 21 and a transmission gear 28, which gears are each freely mounted upon the shaft I8. Fixed to the face of the actuator gear 21 is a segment gear 29 which has a concave Geneva portion 3| provided thereon.

Meshing with the segment gear 29 is an actuator drive gear 32, which is mounted upon a drive shaft 33 and has a Geneva locking surface 34 thereon adapted to engage with the concave Geneva portion 3| of the segment gear 29 when the mechanism is in its home position, as in Fig. 1.

'I'he actuator gear 21 has its teeth arranged to provide for the setting of both whole and half unit values and further to provide for such setting in evenly spaced steps. To accomplish this, two teeth are provided for. each unit and an extended space is provided between the teeth of the 1 and 2 cent units to provide for a l1/2 cent setting. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be'seen that the pinion 2| is adapted to mesh `with both the actuator gear 2? and the transmission gear 28. y

When setting a value from a lower to a higher value in the printing wheel I I through the knob I6, rotation of the gear I4, will effect rotation of the gear segment I'! and thereby move the pinion 2| in a clockwise direction along the teeth of the actuator gear 21. The pinion 2| normally has a starting position as shown in Fig. 4, with the pinion engaging the tooth-of the actuator gear representing the value cent, which is the second tooth of the iirst two 'teeth of said actuator gear. Assuming now that a setting is to be made to the 1l/2 cent position, the said pinion will Ibe moved to the extend-ed space between the second and third teeth of the actuator gear, thereby rotating said pinion one tooth and permitting same to come to rest at the half Way position in the space, owing to the arrangement of the detent notches 5.

Further setting of said pinion 2l tothe position of Fig.-6, will advance the pinion over the 2 cent value tooth and an intermediate-value tooth before coming to rest on the 3 cent value tooth. It will be noted that two teeth are provided for each unit, thus rotating the pinion. 2l a distance of two teeth for each unit, but in passing from a tooth adjacent the extended tooth space to the next tooth beyond the extended tooth space, the pinion will rotate only the distance of one tooth.

In setting a value for printing, the pinion 2l rotates over the teeth of both the actuator gear 21 and the transmission gear hence there is no motion to the said gear 28.

A cycle of operation is provided by oscillating the drive shaft 33. On the forward oscillation, the gear sector 32 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from Fig. l, which, after the teeth thereof engage with the gear sector 29, will effect rotation of the sector 29 in a clockwise direction to rotate the actuator gear 2l in a clockwise direction, such as indicated in Fig. '7. Assuming that the setting of the 3 cent Value had been made as indicated in 6, and the power drive cycle was effected, the pinion 2l would be rotated by each oi the teeth over which it had been previously set. The three teeth to the right of the one and a half value space would move th-e pinion through the distance of the three teeth, permitting same to come to the position of Fig. 5, whereupon engagement with the next tooth would effect rotation of the pinion one more tooth upon reaching the position of Fig. 4, thus providing a total of four teeth to this position. Then upon passing over the remaining two teeth oi' the actuator gear, the pinion 2l is nally rotated the distance of two teeth or a total number of six teeth.

To transmit the selected value during the power cycle to the registering mechanism, av pin lion 35 is initially moved at the start of the cycle, from a normal non-engaging position, the position shown in Figs. l and 3, into mesh with the transmission gear 28. A gear 3G meshing with the pinion 35 is fixed to a shaft 3l, which shaft also has the units register wheel is iixed there to. Hence, the drive of the pinion 2l as effected by the actuator gear will also effect rotation of the transmission gear 23, which in turn will drive the pinion 35 and gear 3S to rotate the units wheel 3S. An annular groove in pinion 35 provides clearance for the teeth of the actuator gear 2l' when the said pinion 35 meshes with the transmission gear 2S.

By means of a cam il and other suitable mechanism such as the cam follower on rocker lever 43, and a pinion supporting rocker lever 45, the pinion 35 is adapted to loe rocked out of the path of the teeth of the transmission gear 28 at the end of the forward stroke of the actuator drive gear 322. Upon the return stroke 'of said drive gear 32 therefore, the teeth of the transmission gear 28 will pass beneath the pin-f ion 35.y

The general arrangement of the actuator gear 2 and transmission gear 28, with the pinion 2l acting as a coupling member, will be found in Thatcher Patent No. 2,248,257, and hence forms no direct -part of the present invention. That part of the device which is important^however, is the improvement provided by the arrangement of the 'teeth of the actuator gear 2'1 to permit the setting and actuation of a 1/2 cent unit value, which setting may be effectedl in evenly spaced steps, and also that the 1/2 unit value is'adapted to be read directly on the units Wheel of the register mechanism.

It is to be noted also that the pinion 2| upon passing through the space of the 1/2 cent value will have two of its teeth in engagement with the edge surface 44 of the actuator gear to obstruct rotation of said pinion while in this position. When, during the setting of the pinion 2l, it passes through this 1/2 cent spa-ce, the transmission gear 28 will be rotated, but with the pinion 35 disengaged therefrom, there will'be no transmission of the motion of said transmission gear.

Having described the claimed is:

1. In register actuating mechanism, a register units wheel having units and half unit symbols thereon, an actuator gear having two teeth for each whole unit value and a space in excess of a normal tooth space following a predetermined .pair of teeth for a half unit value, a drive for the actuator gear, gearing connecting the units wheel with the actuator gear including a toothed wheel meshing with the actuator gear teeth and adapted to be rotated a distance equal to two teeth for each whole unit value when driven by each two teeth of the actuator gear and to rotate the distance of one tooth in passing to the half unit tooth space from a tooth adjacent said space, and means for obstructing rotation of the toothed wheel when passing through the half unit space.

2. In register actuating mechanism, a register units wheel having units and half unit symbols thereon, an actuator gear having two teeth for each whole unit value and a space in excess of a normal tooth space following a predetermined pair of teeth for a half unit value, gearing connecting the units wheel with the actuator gear including a toothed Wheel meshing with the actuator gear teeth and adapted to be rotated a distance equal to two teeth for each whole unit value when driven by each two teeth of the actuator gear and to rotate the distance of one tooth in passing to the half unit tooth space from a tooth adjacent said space, means Whereby the actuator and toothed wheel are pre--settable relative to o-ne another in evenly spaced steps, means to eiiect a drive of the actuator after setting, and means for obstructing rotation .of the toothed wheel when passing through the half unit tooth space.

3. In register actuating mechanism, a register units wheel having units and halfunit symbols thereon, an actuator gear having two teeth for each whole unit value and a space equal to three teeth following a predetermined `pairof teeth for a half unit value, gearing connecting the units wheel with the actuator gear including `a toothed wheel meshing with the actuator gear teeth and adapted to be rotated a distance equal to two teeth for each unit value when driven by each two teeth of the actuator gear and to rotate invention, what is the distance of one tooth in passing to the half unit tooth space from a tooth adjacent said space, means whereby the actuator and toothed wheel are pre-settable relative to one another in evenly spaced steps, means to eiect a. drive of the actuator after setting, and means including the engagement oi two teeth of the toothed .Wheel with the peripheral surface of the actuator gear along the three toothed space for obstructing rotation of the toothed wheel when passing through said space.

4. In register actuating mechanism, a register units wheel having whole and half unit symbols thereon, transmission gearing operatively connected with the units wheel, an actuator gear having teeth spaced in a units and half units order including an extended space between the one and two unit value teeth for a one and one half unit, settable means coupling the actuator gear with the transmission gearing and settable in evenly spaced steps to a predetermined position with relation to the unit teeth or one and one half unit space of the actuator, and cyclically operable means to eiect the drive of the actuator gear, whereby any set value including a half unit value is adapted to be transmitted to the units wheel.

5. In an adjustable mechanism for controlling the drive of a register units Wheel having half unit value readings thereon; the combination with a toothed actuator, transmission gearing, and a settable pinion associated with the actuator and transmission gearing, whereby rotation of the actuator will effect rotation of the transmission gear and register units wheel; of means including the normal even spacing of the actuator gear teeth whereby setting of the pinion is adapted to be eiected therealong in equally spaced steps for the setting oi Whole digit values, and means including the interruption, of the even spacing between pre-determined actuator gear teeth to provide for the setting of a one-half digit value between certain whole digit values, but without altering the equally spaced steps of setting.

6. In mechanism for effecting the drive of a register units wheel through the normal whole unit steps and intermediate half unit steps, transmission gearing operatively conneoted with the units wheel of the register, an actuator gear having teeth arranged in an order of two teeth for the'rst unit Value, a space greater than a tooth space for the one and one half unit value, a tooth following the space for the'second unit value, and each alternate tooth thereafter representing the successive whole units values, a pinion coupling said actuator gear and transmission gearing, means to effect adjustment of the pinion relative to the teeth of the actuator gear in evenly spaced steps, whereby a predetermined number of teeth of the actuator gear will be in operative relation with the pinion, and cyclically operable means to drive the actuator gear, whereby any set value including the one and one half unit value will be transmitted to the units wheel through the transmission gearing.

FRANCIS J. ROUAN. 

